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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24957814">give your hearts</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sasuskies/pseuds/sasuskies'>sasuskies</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, alternate universe - Attack on Titan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 09:57:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,119</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24957814</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sasuskies/pseuds/sasuskies</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Can you do that again when my skin is intact?”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>give your hearts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>His head is clearest when he is swinging in his ODM, wind harsh enough to numb his face, hands on the hilt of his swords, a kill so close he can taste it on his tongue. </p><p>Sasuke doesn’t falter, doesn’t hesitate. Not when it is him, his horse, and a titan. He is the best of humanity. When he fights he fights for Itachi, whose body was never found after the 47th expedition; he fights for father who was brought back a corpse in the 41st; for mother, who died in the 43rd, killing 12 of them as they drove her to a corner. He fights like he was born to do it, and with a family like his, it holds a truth. </p><p>He is a machine, designed and perfected to kill the beasts before they kill him. Which makes it a mystery why, all of a sudden, he’s <em> scared. </em>More than he felt all those years ago in his first expedition, or all his expeditions combined. His hands don’t <em> shake - </em>they never do - but their ends feel as cold as the back of his neck that they might as well be.</p><p>It takes everything in him to not scream at Kakashi, demeaning the chain of command in front of all the new recruits. Still, the moment he lands at the edge of the wall, he growls, “I told you the gears needed checking.” </p><p>It’s stupid, really. A six-meter Sakura can handle like nothing, a fifteen-meter she can stomp without fuss, but it’s a faulty controller grip that has her flying to a burning house. Sakura’s assist count flies at 56 and her kills a total of 78, probably one of the highest the legion will ever see. She’s like a bug that swings around titans’ necks; an assist from her means sure results. She’s quick to dodge and severe to cut, so of course it’s the controller that fails her. </p><p>“I busted mine on the field,” she informs him. Her eyes are closed, her face a light shade of red, long pink hair burned off up to her chin. She’s moving her mouth as little as possible as she says the words. “It’s my fault.”</p><p>“It is.” He agrees.</p><p>Kakashi only stands, lone eye auditing the loss in the latest expedition. She’s lucky she’s only injured, and it’s a blown miracle they weren’t all wiped out. But Sakura can’t die, not when -</p><p>(They still haven’t reached the sea.)</p><p>“Sir,” one of her brats exclaims. “I don’t think Captain Haruno -”</p><p>“It’s alright,” her voice so soft it’s ample reason for him to lean closer. “We never got to go out on that date, Sasuke-kun.”</p><p>“You’re not dying, Sakura.”</p><p>She smiles, perched atop the Wall with only a thin blanket at her back, he feels as small as he actually is beside her. What does it all amount to, anyway? What good is the sea if Sakura isn’t there to dip her feet in it? “No, but I’m incredibly weak. Do me a favor and treat me nicely.”</p><p>“Burns make you delirious.”</p><p>“Burns make <em> you </em> affectionate.”</p><p>“Tch.” Flirting after getting pulled out of a burning house. Typical. It’s in bad taste, mixing romance in the battlefield, especially with duties like theirs, but Sasuke can’t find it in himself to care. Not anymore. Not when a feeling as foreign as panic rose to his chest once Juugo reported back that Haruno-taichou was one of the injured as they were rounding up bodies. Suddenly, everyone else didn’t matter. </p><p>“Let’s go,” the commander says. “The mission to retake Wall Maria was a success." It doesn't feel like it. "Take the injured to the wagons.”</p><p>The steady streams of affirmatives are heard as the troops fly back down. Her squad dallies behind, waiting for their captain. The red haired one takes a step forward but Sasuke is there first. He isn’t the fastest in the whole military forces for nothing. He scoops her into his arms, is reminded faintly of the 97th cadet corps where Haruno kept talking about swooning romance and white horses that he couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that she signed up as a soldier out of her personal accord. “I’ll take her.”</p><p>“Yes, Captain.”</p><p>He lowers them both to even ground, hands supporting her neck and the back of her knees. His hand grasps the cut off strands of her hair there. It had been long, past her waist, smelled strongly of coconut. It flayed around her as she rode, jumping in tandem with the steps of her horse. More than half of it is gone and what’s left is covered in black soot. He runs a thumb through the tips. </p><p>“Sasuke-kun,” she mumbles. For someone who can roar out commands that echoes through yards and yards, she talks like she takes all her tone from the top of her head. “Your team?”</p><p>“They’re fine.”</p><p>She nods and closes her eyes again. He settles her body on the wagon, careful not to drop her and send her on another bout of pain. </p><p>“Don’t do that again.” He can’t help saying.</p><p>“I didn’t mean to fall into a burning house, Sasuke-kun.”</p><p>“Sakura -”</p><p>“I’ll be more careful next time. But if ever -”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“My life is a small price to pay for knowing what’s out there. Something’s changing, Sasuke-kun. We’re close.”</p><p>The truth is they are, and she’s right. She always is. But he would rather get eaten ten times over if it means she would survive this hell, if it came down to it. But another truth is he wants to see it too, the sea. He won’t go if it isn’t with her, and he’s too curious to die before reaching it. </p><p>He only nods. She knows, though. She knows what he means to say. </p><p>“But we’ll make it.” She says firmly. “Maybe by that time, my hair will be long again. You like girls with long hair, don’t you?”</p><p>He scoffs. She looks at him, half her lips curling upward. A teasing smile awfully mirroring his own.</p><p>Sasuke leans forward and kisses her forehead. He can’t call it a moment of weakness when it isn’t. Sakura is brave, putting it all on the line, so he will too. For her. He hears her slight gasp. </p><p>“Can you do that again when my skin is intact?” </p><p>He hums. Kakashi might have seen and marked them for misconduct. Worse, he’ll tell Tsunade. But this has been years coming, and they might not have years to go. They can chalk up reports all they want. They can’t lay off two section commanders who've given their entire lives to the cause. </p><p>“This time next year, we’ll be by the sea, Sakura.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i've been spiraling down an snk rut. i miss the good old days when titans were still the enemies. i might continue this? no promises though. im sasuskies over at tumblr if any of you want to chat &lt;334455 comment, comment</p></blockquote></div></div>
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